The Means to the End
by Shidoni8
Summary: It's a neat story thing that shows one of my versions of how Percy Weasley and Oliver Wood came to be close friends, and eventually, lovers.  It will jump back in time, please be prepared for that.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own _Harry Potter_ or Percy, or Ol or anyone else. Enjoy!

Sometime during their 6th year

"So…" Oliver drew the word out as if he was still searching for a topic, or wanted to delay releasing a ripe one. The Quidditch Captain was sitting on his bed, leaning his back against the headboard and was reading the latest issue of the most informative quidditch magazine (who'd've guessed?).

Percy, in a similar position on his bed, glanced over his horn-rimmed glasses at his roommate, and lover with an expression of slight irritation on his face. Presumably caused by the interruption of his reading, a book titled The Ministry: a History.

"Please continue," Percy said in a somewhat caustic voice. Oliver didn't seem to catch the tone, as he was busy chewing on his own lip, apparently thinking, before he finally spoke.

"I was just wondering… Um, if… how is… I mean to-"

"Oliver, just say it, love," Percy looked a bit worried and his brow furrowed as he gazed hard at Oliver. Oliver sighed and knew he had to get it off his chest or he wouldn't be able to let it go.

"I wondered about this whole thing with Clearwater." Percy's face immediately darkened and closed off. Oliver plowed on. "I just thought I'd ask, because… I- Percy I don't think it's right for you to date her while we're… um. Together. That's all."

Percy stood, his fists clenched, and he crossed to Oliver's bed.

"Penny and I are not dating," he said tersely, trying to keep his dignity.

"That's not how I hear it. It's all over, Percy, so there's no use denying it."

"Well, then it's a question of whether you believe me or the rest of the school, isn't it?" Percy stared down at Oliver, now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Perce, there's gotta be a reason," Oliver, his magazine forgotten, disregarded Percy's last comment. "I know you don't like her. I've known you since before first day of Hogwarts and she isn't your type, so why are you going with her?" Oliver looked at Percy and refused to break eye contact, a look of desperation on the face of the Scottish teen.

Percy seemed to collapse, all his mass coming out in a sigh, as he sat next to Oliver on the edge of the bed. They looked at each other, Percy's head tilting up sharply because he was shorter and slouched over to boot. And suddenly he closed the gap between them.

Oliver's eyes widened, then closed in pleasure as his lover kissed him softly, tenderly, on the lips. He melted into it and Percy sat up on his knee to get a better angle. They broke apart to breathe and Oliver smiled ruefully. After a moment he shook himself and scooted away from Percy, disbelief on Oliver's face.

"You can't just kiss me like that and then expect me to forget what I was saying," Oliver said suddenly. Percy looked down, a light blush on his cheeks. Oliver reached over and tilted Percy's head up, looking into his eyes. There was guilt there, and Oliver wanted to know why. He'd bet all the money he owned that it had something to do with that Clearwater girl from Ravenclaw.

"Tell me, please Perce?" Oliver's eyes pleaded in the worst way. Percy could never resist those eyes and especially not now with all the guilt pushing to get out. Percy sighed again.

"I… they," Percy stopped, looking down. Oliver put an arm around Percy's shoulders and held him close.

"Go on, I'm listening." Percy snuggled up to Oliver's side and began to speak in a voice muffled by the other's pajama shirt.

"I thought if I went out with her they wouldn't suspect. They were talking about…" Percy buried himself closer to Oliver, "talking about _us_." Oliver's grip loosened on Percy and the Prefect looked up, tears in his questioning eyes to see Oliver's look of confusion change to disbelief.

"You were ashamed," Oliver took a deep breath, "ashamed of us? Of what we are? Percy, we've been friends since the beginning, and lovers for years and stupid talking classmates have this effect on you?" Percy looked desperately into Oliver's eyes.

"Ollie, no! I wasn't ashamed, I promise." Percy fell to the floor on his knees, grabbing for some hold on Oliver's pajamas, looking up into the betrayed eyes of his lover, "It's just not on the line or in the rule book or perfect!" Confusion was showing on the taller boy's face.

"What wasn't perfect?! We have Hogwarts. We have each other! What wasn't perfect?"

Percy stood, facing Oliver, and swallowed, tears flowing quietly down his face.

"For a boy to be with another boy," he began quietly, and Oliver's eyes widened in shock. "It isn't what people expect from me. I'm supposed to be perfect! The perfect example! It's an idiosyncrasy for me to be this way and it isn't ideal and it doesn't follow any of the rules I've lived by for my whole life!" Percy knew he was babbling and knew that Oliver was crying now and Percy could see the immense hurt on the other boy's face, but it was too late and it had already been said.

For a moment after Percy had finished Oliver looked shocked, his face blank but his eyes showing immeasurable pain.

"If… if that's how you feel." Oliver swung his legs onto his bed and began to pull the curtains shut on his four-poster. Percy knew he'd caused serious damage.

"Ollie, please. Let me take it back. I shouldn't have told you, I'm sorry!"

Muffled by the curtains Percy heard Oliver's voice say,

"We'll talk later. Just…" a heavy sigh, "just give me some time," and Percy returned to his own bed.

He sat down and tried to pick up his book where he'd left off, but couldn't concentrate. Sleep eluded him for the longest time before the Prefect fell into an uneasy dream that he couldn't remember afterward.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own _Harry Potter_ or Percy, or Ol or anyone else. Enjoy!

Year –1 (1)

"Mum! Mum, can we bring a friend for a visit? Please, please please?" A seven year old Fred and George hopped up and down excitedly. They had short red hair, identical pleading looks on their faces and were wearing muggle clothes. Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"Well, that depends. Who is he, or she, and where did you meet him, or her?"

"His name is Oliver," Fred said.

"Oliver Wood," George specified. A soft smile graced Mrs. Weasley's face.

"Ah, the Woods," she said, "I've heard good things about them. Very nice people, I hear."

"We met him at quidditch camp," Fred said, "he says he'll be a famous keeper one day."

"When he comes," George chimed in, "we'll have enough people to make a real quidditch team!" a look of pure happiness appeared on his face. "It'll be so authentic." Fred looked at George in realization, his eyes widening.

"Bill, Charlie, You, Me, Percy, Ron and Oliver! It's perfect, George!"

Suddenly Ginny stomped in from outside, where she'd been eavesdropping from the door.

"Mummy!" five year old Ginny called out, "They never let me play quidditch with them!"

"Dear," Mrs. Weasley said soothingly, "You're too young, your brothers are just trying to keep you safe." Ginny pouted and crossed her arms in a huff.

"No, they're being mean because I'm the only girl and the littlest! They're all being sexist!" And she stomped loudly up the stairs, presumably to her own room.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own _Harry Potter_ or Percy, or Ol or anyone else. Enjoy!

Year –1 (2)

Percy, aged 10 frowned as he heard the banging noises coming up the stairs and then on his door. He didn't know who it was, but they'd better go away before he lost his patience. Before he could decide what he'd hex the person with, had he been of age to do magic and had the necessary wand, the Twins burst into his room. They were flushed and out of breath, probably from running up the stairs, wasting their energy when they could have walked.

"Perce, you gotta come play with us!" They said in unison. Percy looked scornfully at them through his horn-rimmed glasses.

"Play?" His voice was dripping with disdain and scorn, none of which affected Fred and George who nodded vigorously.

"Play quidditch!" Fred said. George continued,

"And you'd better do it or we might forget our promise to go easy on you this summer."

"You remember the boa constrictor, don't you, Perce?" Fred said slyly.

Percy sighed in annoyance, he was planning his life, and his success did not include playing quidditch with his brothers and sister. Hmmm, his sister… Ginny was a good excuse, Percy gave the twins a wry grin.

"But, we don't have enough for a team. Mother barely lets Ron play at all and there is no way on this earth that she'll let Ginny play. That leaves us a player short."

"Come on, Perce," they mock pleaded. George went down on his knees by Percy's chair and clasped his hands dramatically.

"We'd play three on three, but then we'd be leaving our dear friend out of the fun!" George smirked as he saw Percy straighten in his chair.

Percy was immediately curious as to who Fred and George had brought here. He tried to relax back to his work and ignore the twins, but they knew they'd got him hooked. Now Percy was trying to brush all of it off as some dumb person probably just like his younger brothers, and he didn't need another of those. But he was curious and Percy never wanted to regret anything in life, whether it was a huge opportunity or a simple meeting of someone new. So he conceded to the annoyances, who were now whooping and hollering in triumph, and followed them downstairs.

Percy came down the stairs, back straight and trying to look as sophisticated as he could. Halfway down the stairs Fred and George picked up the pace and rocketed downstairs at a very unsafe break-neck speed. Percy got to the bottom and saw Fred and George greeting a boy looking around Percy's age, maybe older, since he was a bit taller than the bespectacled redhead. They were all being extremely obnoxious and loud, yelling something about all the quidditch they were going to practice while the stranger visited, and Percy's felt immediately out of place. He stood quietly by the handrail and watched the three of them. Suddenly the strange boy looked over at Percy and their eyes met.


End file.
